


The Lost and Found

by Stratagem



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: F/M, Gen, Humor, Some angst, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-09-03 17:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8723068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stratagem/pseuds/Stratagem
Summary: The gang picks up a new little shape-shifting stray along the way and shenanigans ensue. What're they going to do with their tiny tag-a-long? Find her the perfect home, of course! Makeshift family feels, bit of drama, adventures, and goofy fun.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Yona of the Dawn/Akatsuki no Yona. Oh my gosh, but I really love all the characters, they're fantastic.
> 
> A/N: Basically a story about the gang briefly gaining a younger sibling for a little while and exploring their parental or big sibling sides. This story takes place after the last episode of the anime plus the first OVA, but it's not necessary to have seen the OVA in order to understand this. Also, I'm currently reading the manga, so some spoilers might make their way into the story, but currently I'm just at the point where they met Jae-ha in the manga.

"It's so pretty!"

"More like blinding. My eyes might never recover."

"Hush, Hak." Yona slapped Hak on the arm for insulting the beautiful little town laid out below them.

Their group was traveling through the Earth Tribe's hill country, and they had seen many villages, but this was the most impressive one so far. It was nestled in-between three different hills, and there was a wide, sparkling river running through the village. The houses and shops were built on various levels, but everything sloped down toward the river. Each building seemed to be a different hue, creating a happy, bright effect throughout the town.

"The map says this place is called Cedar Cove," Yoon said, tapping a spot on his well-worn map. He glanced over the top of the paper at the town and frowned. "That's not a cove. And these aren't cedar trees."

"Maybe there used to be cedars here," Zeno suggested with a grin.

"Whatever," said Hak, "We just need there to be supplies in the town. I don't care if they have cedars or not."

With winter on the way, they needed to make sure their group was outfitted for snow and ice and all the trappings of the cold season. Hak was pretty sure that if it came down to it, they wouldn't freeze. Yoon would probably weave coats for everyone out of Shin-Ah's mask fur or the dragons would develop fire breath or something, but he didn't want to push their luck. Yona definitely needed winter gear if she was going to survive in the bitter cold.

"I think we should all go into town," Yona said, her eyes glancing over Yoon, anticipating an argument from him. Sure enough, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh sure, because _that_ won't draw attention," he said before gesturing at the rest of them in turn. "Scary mask, princess, weird hand, ex-general, green hair, goofy-looking blond. Plus a squirrel. Do you want everyone to stare at us?"

"Don't say that Shin-Ah's mask is scary," Kija said, "It's just intimidating."

Hak smirked. "That's not any better, White Snake."

"Don't call me that!"

"We won't stay long," Yona said, making a face at the bickering young men, "Besides, we need winter clothes, right? So we all need to go pick those out for ourselves."

"You just want to dress everyone up, Princess," Hak said.

"No, I do _not_."

"I actually wouldn't mind that," Jae-ha said, earning him glares from Hak and Kija.

Eventually Yona won by sheer will power alone, and the entire group made their way into the town against Yoon and Hak's better judgment.

Cedar Cove was a clean town with well-swept streets, banners and flags hanging from storefronts, and late autumn flowers springing up in front of houses and shops. While some of the townspeople looked at them wide-eyed, others smiled and a few shopkeepers even called out to them. Honestly that just put Hak on edge, but he could tell the others were enjoying civilization, especially the ones that had spent most of their lives away from the rest of the world.

Kija was looking at a display of fruits imported from the Kai Empire while Jae-ha leaned against the wall beside him, explaining what each one was. Yoon stood at a storefront that had herbs hanging in the doorway while Zeno was drooling at a streetside stand. Understandably apprehensive about the ravenous-looking yellow-haired weirdo staring at the kabobs he was cooking, the standowner was watching Zeno like a hawk.

"Let's go look in here, Shin-ah," Yona said, looping her right arm around the quiet young man's left arm and dragging him into a store. Ao bounced from Shin-ah's head to Yona's shoulder and burrowed into the princess' hood.

Hak followed the two, deciding to keep an eye on them. Besides, Yoon would most likely make sure the others stayed in line and didn't make too much of a scene.

The inside of the store was dim and stuffy. Shades had been drawn over the windows, and there was a fire cracking in an iron pot in one of the corners. However, something felt off about the whole place.

"We're closed," came a rough voice from a back room.

"Really. The door wasn't locked," Hak said.

A middle-aged man appeared, stepping out from behind a curtained doorway. He looked haggard and worn, dark circles under his eyes. His arms were covered in bandages, but Hak could see a bit of blood seeping through. "Really. Now get out."

Instinctively, Shin-ah subtly stepped closer to Yona, ready as ever to make sure she was safe. She glanced up at him before looking back at the shopkeeper.

"Sorry, we were just looking for winter clothes. I noticed some cloaks through your window—"

"I was just coming to close up." His voice was terse and edged with danger.

Hak didn't move, but he tensed. "We were just leaving." What he really wanted to do was knock the guy around for interrupting the princess, but they were trying not to attract too much attention. Besides there were other places to shop.

"Ao!" Yona reached for the squirrel, but she had made a flying leap from the princess' shoulder to one of the tables. The chubby creature darted down to the floor and dashed into the back room.

"Make that thing come back, it can't go in there," snarled the man, his eyes sparking with anger as he stormed after Ao.

"Ao, come back," Yona called, but the squirrel ignored her as she slipped under the curtain to the back room.

"Ao…" Shin-ah said, but the squirrel didn't even come back for her favorite human.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper had grabbed a broom, which he doubtlessly meant to use against Ao.

"Doing some cleaning?" Hak said, his tone cool and wry. In a moment, he had moved between the shopkeeper and the doorway to the back, one hand closed around the broom.

"Get out of my way," the shopkeeper snapped. He tried to pull the broom out of Hak's grip, but it didn't budge.

"Let us get the squirrel, and we'll leave." There was no way they were leaving without Ao anyways, and if the shopkeeper swiped at Ao with the broom, Hak wasn't sure what Shin-ah would do.

"Move," the man growled.

With a cheerful chitter, Ao reappeared, but she wasn't alone. A flash of reddish orange sprang out from behind the curtain, right on Ao's tail. Great, there went Shin-ah's pet, destined to be eaten by some crabby guy's cat. Ao raced over to Shin-ah and scrambled up his leg and torso and onto his head, but the reddish blur climbed up onto Shin-ah's boots and huddled against his ankles.

It was a tiny fox cub, a trembling little mess of red fur, big ears, and bushy tail. There was a frayed bit of rope attach to its front right paw. It curled its tail over its face, as if it could hide behind the fluffy, white-tipped puff.

"No!" the shopkeeper shouted, and he let go of the broom to lunge at the creature curled up on Shin-ah's boots. All right, so the situation had gone from tense to weird. So the shopkeeper had a fox problem.

In one swift agile move, Shin-ah scooped the creature up and unsheathed his sword. He stood with the blade pointing toward the man, hovering inches away from his chest. While Shin-ah's mask covered his eyes, Hak had been traveling with him long enough to tell he was angry just by the set of his jaw.

"Shin-ah?" Yona reached out and put a hand on Shin-ah's arm, trying to calm him.

"It's…she's not a fox," the blue-haired young man said softly. He held the quite-obviously-a-fox-cub out to Hak.

Er…

Hak wondered if Shin-ah was feeling all right, but he took the scrawny little creature. He looked down into its big, frightened golden-brown eyes, aware that Yona was hovering by his elbow, also looking at the cub.

"You don't understand, it has to be kept away from people," the shopkeeper said, glaring at them but not moving beyond Shin-ah's sharp blade.

The fox cub squirmed, its legs flailing in the air. Suddenly it went still and the air around it seemed to shimmer and blur, and Hak felt it shift in his hands and slip out of his grip. He automatically reached down to catch it, but instead came face to face with a little girl crouched on the ground where the fox should have been falling.

She looked to be about six years old with bushy red hair, amber eyes, and golden freckles across her face. Two fox ears poked out of that wild red hair. Dressed in rags so dirty their original color was indiscernible, she bounced up and dashed for Yona, disappearing into the princess' cloak, her hand holding on to the princess' skirt.

What… Hak stared. What was going on?


	2. Chapter 2

"Does someone want to explain what's going on?" Hak demanded. He turned toward the shopkeeper who had to have some kind of idea why a fox had gone from creature to girl in front of his eyes.

The man pointed a shaking finger at the little girl. She flinched and pulled Yona's cloak tighter around her, hiding behind the thick material.

"It can't be around people," he snarled, "It's dangerous. It has to be locked up."

The girl shook her head rapidly and looked up at Yona, those big golden eyes pleading for help. Hak knew they were all in trouble when a small frown started to form on Yona's face. She wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"She's not an it," Yona told the shopkeeper.

"What do you know, girl?" the man snapped, "Give it back, it's not yours, and I won't let it curse anyone else." He glared down at the little one cowering close to Yona. "Get over here, trickster."

Hak and Shin-Ah both shifted so that they were in between Yona and the man just in case he decided to rush at her. There was a certain manic air about him, one that made Hak uneasy. Plus, there seemed to be yet another magical beast in their midst, one that had a rather unsettling ability. Sure, he was used to seeing super-strong claws and stupidly bouncy legs and whatnot, but none of the dragons actually turned into dragons. This girl apparently could shapeshift into a fox and back again rather easily.

"She's not going with you," Yona said.

"If you take her, that'll be stealing," the shopkeeper growled.

"She's person, not a thing, so it'd actually be kidnapping," Hak said, his tone dangerously amused, "Though in this case, I'm inclined to call it a rescue."

"You don't understand," the shopkeeper said. He pointed at the little girl, and she looked back at him with those terrified eyes. "It's cursed."

Shin-Ah looked from the shopkeeper to the girl, a cold stillness in his posture. Silently, he stepped in front of both Yona and the shopkeeper, his sword pointed at the shopkeeper. He glanced at Yona over his shoulder and nodded at her. "Go."

Yona scooped the child up into her arms and backed toward the door, holding the girl close. Or she did until the kid shimmered back into her fox form and curled up in the crook of her arm, trembling. Ao scurried after them, leaping up onto Yona's cloak to catch a ride.

"It's okay," Yona said, brushing a hand across the fox's head, "Don't worry."

The fox only buried her head deeper into the crook of Yona's arm, refusing to look up. Yona stepped out into the street and nearly ran into Zeno.

"Who's that, miss?" the yellow dragon asked. He was looking at the fox-girl in her arms, his head tilted to the side.

Somehow it didn't surprise her too much that Zeno and Shin-Ah could tell that the fox wasn't actually a fox. Maybe it was a magical beast thing? There was so much they didn't really know about the dragon blood powers, so perhaps detecting other mythic creatures was one of their skills.

"I don't know yet," Yona said. She looked back toward the shop, wondering when Shin-Ah and Hak would come out. "I think she's too scared to talk."

The sounds of crashing houseware and various goods suddenly poured out of the shop windows and doorway, and Zeno and Yona both took a step back. Ao climbed up onto Yona's shoulder and then toddled down to perch on top of the little fox's head.

A moment later, the shopkeeper rolled out of the shop and into the street, apparently tossed out of his own place by Hak, who appeared in the doorway with Shin-Ah right behind him. The Thunder Beast looked especially dangerous, cloaked half in shadow as he loomed over the man at his feet.

"Apparently that's a kumiho," Hak said, gesturing to the fox.

"Kumihos are myths." Yoon's voice cut in as he, Kija, and Jae-Ha came down the street.

"You're saying that with a straight face while standing in between two dragons," Jae-Ha said, raising an eyebrow at Yoon and grinning, "Might want to re-think that statement."

A kumiho? That was an old monster story told to scare children on long winter nights. Supposedly kumiho were shape-shifting foxes who would morph into pretty women or girls and then seduce men before attacking them. Yona could remember some of the maids telling tales about the fox monsters on late winter evenings in front of the fireplaces at Kouka Castle. Okay, so this little fox could shift into a little girl, but that didn't make her a kumiho, did it?

"You're making a scene," Yoon scolded, coming to stand beside Yona. He peered down at the fox in her arms, his expression showing just how displeased he was. "What's that?"

"It's hard to explain—" Yona started.

"You can't take it," the man interrupted, getting up onto his knees, "You don't get it, that thing's mother killed my son! I have to dispose of it."

"She's just a little girl," Yona snapped, holding onto the fox tight enough that she gave a yelp. Yona automatically loosened her grip.

"Yona, that's a fox," Yoon corrected.

"What exactly is going on?" Jae-Ha asked. He was standing behind Yona, his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk on his face. "What is he trying to dispose of?"

Before Yona or Hak could explain, the man scrambled to his feet and lunged at Yona, hands outstretched like talons as he reached for the fox. The little creature squeaked and leapt out of Yona's arms, but before the shopkeeper could reach the princess, Jae-Ha and Kija were in front of Yona.

"It's all right, you don't have to worry about any scary people anymore. Gosh, you're cute."

Yona turned to find Zeno kneeling down next to the little red-headed girl with Yoon staring open-mouthed at them. The ease with which the girl could shift from human to fox and back was incredible, so quick it was hard to follow. That blurring thing that happened when she switched probably helped too. Zeno had the little girl's hands in his, which kept her from running off or looking back at the shopkeeper that was currently being pressed into the street by Jae-Ha's foot.

"We should leave," Yoon said slowly, his eyes still on the girl, "Before anyone else notices us."

"Too late," Hak said.

Sure enough, a crowd was gathering around, attracted by the noise. An old woman who looked as if she had been crafted out of old rice paper stumbled to the front, pushing her way past the other townspeople.

"Sumi?" she croaked.

Immediately the little red-haired girl turned toward her, those golden eyes wide. She yanked her hands out of Zeno's light grasp and darted over to the old woman, shifting in mid leap before landing between her boots. Around them, townspeople gasped and made signs against evil, and a loud muttering began.

"Sumi, Sumi," the woman chanted, tears squeezing out of her eyes as she reached down and picked up the fox cub. After pressing her face into her bright fur, the woman glowered at the shopkeeper. "Chul, you told me she died!"

"Go away, mother," the man managed to growl, "You never understood."

"Can we stop making a scene?" Yoon said, looking around at the crowd before fixing his gaze on the old woman, "Can you take us somewhere and tell us what's going on?"

The woman looked at the odd group and finally nodded. "You can't stay long, but I will tell you our story on one condition."

"What is it?" Yona asked.

Tears flowed easier now as the woman ran gnarled, arthritic fingers over the fox's fur. "You'll take my great-granddaughter with you when you go."

"Great-granddaughter?!"


	3. Chapter 3

The gang followed the old woman as she hurried through the town, carrying the little fox-girl in her arms. Or, well, they walked slowly as the old woman shuffled along as fast as she could, mumbling to the fox-child. "Poor dear, poor little one, my sweet Sumi…" While they walked, Hak and Yona filled the others in about the girl and the shopkeeper in quiet tones.

Their pace was agonizingly turtle-like due to the old woman's tiny gait, which gave the villagers ample time to gape at the strange group.

"Everyone is staring," Shin-Ah said quietly, obviously made uncomfortable by a town's worth of attention.

Jae-Ha simply sighed. "It can't be helped. We are all so attractive, after all."

"Somehow I don't think they're focused on you beasts for once, Green," Yoon said, glancing over at the tall young man.

Indeed, most people seemed to be gawking at the old woman and the fox, which meant that what had happened at the shop was already swiftly making its way around the village.

"Ma'am—" Hak started, but the old woman held up a hand.

"Be patient," she said, "We'll be there soon."

They inched after the woman and tried to ignore all of the villagers and their unwavering stares. Finally they came to a small house near the outskirts of the town. As they reached the fence around the home, the fox squirmed out of the old woman's grasp and shifted back into a girl. She paused for a moment inside of the gate, closing her eyes as she lifted her face to the sun and her tiny bare feet sunk into the warm grass.

Behind her, Jae-Ha felt a sudden empathy for her. He knew the look on her face, that relief at being in the sun once more, all too well. Glancing over at his younger blue dragon brother, he could tell that Shin-Ah recognized the expression as well.

"Inside, Sumi," the woman said, waving her hands, "All of you, into the house. We don't have much time." Her papery face crumpled into a frown. "That worthless son of mine won't wait for long before coming here."

The home consisted of one room with a mat, a cooking area, and a few cushions to sit on. It certainly wasn't made with five warriors, a pretty boy, and a princess in mind, so it was hardly large enough to contain all of them. Jae-Ha and Hak had to press up against the wall while the others scattered about the room. Yona and Yoon shared one of the cushions while the woman took the other, which left Kija, Shin-Ah and Zeno to sit on the floor. The fox-girl reluctantly came inside, dragging her feet, but she laid down in the doorway, refusing to come all the way indoors.

"So Grandma has a great-granddaughter who can turn into a fox?" Zeno said, grinning, "That's a new one."

"It's complicated," the old woman said, folding her hands into her lap. Her watery eyes looked at the girl, Sumi, with warmth and affection before turning back to the group. "I didn't know she was still alive. That rotten son of mine…"

"Can you start at the beginning?" Yona asked gently, "I think we're all just a little confused about it all."

Jae-Ha and Hak glanced at each other, both somewhat amused by Yona's understatement. The kid had transformed into a fox and back again multiple times, her supposed grandpa had kept her captive in his shop, and he was planning on killing her or something. Yeah, they were all just a taaaad confused by it.

The old woman sighed. "The beginning was almost ten years ago now," she said, eyes misting over as if she was looking into the past, "It was the middle of winter when a foreign woman from a country across the sea showed up at our village. She was a traveling singer, or that's what she said. She had a beautiful voice."

In the doorway, Sumi perked up and sat up, turning toward the group. Yona caught her eyes and smiled at her, but the girl ducked her head.

"My grandson Te was smitten with her on sight," the woman said, "They married in the spring and everything seemed normal, for the most part. It was after they had been married a couple years that they told me Amilee's secret." Her gnarled fingers twisted together in her lap as her eyes wandered toward the girl in the doorway. "Amilee came from a family whose ancestor long ago was blessed by a nine-tailed fox spirit, and the gift of shapeshifting appears at random in their bloodline." Her eyes turned sharp as she looked at Yona and the dragons. "As some abilities appear in the Kouka villages." She couldn't have figured them out so easily, could she?

The group was quiet for a moment. At least until it had all sunk in. "But how is that possible?" Yoon said, "People can't shapeshift."

"Mmm, and you know everything, boy?" the grandmother asked, smirking at him.

"Of course not, I just happen to know a lot," Yoon said.

"Well, think of this as something new you just learned. When Sumi was born, we thought that she wouldn't have the ability, but she shifted her first time when she was three." The old woman smiled. "So bright, my Sumi."

"What happened to her parents?" Yona asked quietly.

The old woman shook her head. "A fever took both of them a month ago, but Chul blamed Amilee and Sumi." She sighed. "He never could accept them after Te told him about the ninetail's gift. He thought they were cursed…" Leaning back, she gestured for Sumi to come to her. The girl looked out at the yard and the sunshine one last time and then went to her great-grandmother, settling beside her. "Chul told me that Sumi caught the illness after Amilee and Te passed, and I believed him."

"Why would he lie about that?" Kija asked, his blue eyes dark.

"He would have decided she was too dangerous." Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged the girl to her and then inspected the ragged bit of rope on her wrist. "He must have been keeping her tied up in his shop since then. Is that what happened, Sumi?"

Silence. The red-headed girl looked down at the floor, eyes half-lidded at painful memories.

The old woman rubbed the child's arm gently. "Please say something."

"She hasn't talked since we found her," Hak said.

"Ao found her," Yona pointed out.

"She stopped talking after her parents passed," the old woman said, "I was hoping she had found her voice again. It would make things easier." Brushing her trembling fingers down the girl's hair, she met Yona's eyes. "She can't stay here, you understand."

"But it isn't safe with us," Yoon pointed out, "We're…we aren't exactly a normal group…"

"I couldn't tell," the grandmotherly lady said, her voice a deadpan.

"Did Grandma just make a joke?" Zeno said, his eyes lighting up.

"I'm old, not humorless, boy."

Yona looked at the little girl. While it wasn't safe with them, really, there were people who could look after her, who wouldn't think that her ability was a curse. Gi-Gan, the Wind Tribe, Ik-Soo… Getting her to one of those people wouldn't take too long, probably only a couple weeks at most. But why would the great-grandmother want them to take child? Didn't she want to raise her?

"If she stays here," the old woman said, "Chul will always want to lock her away. And now the townspeople know, and they'll think she's an evil spirit or a demon." Her hands shook. "I won't live much longer, either. I need to know that she's somewhere safe, and you lot protected her. I feel like I can trust you to find her a home…I can pay you."

"We don't need payment," Yona said, her tone firm, "We'll take her with us."

"Thank you," the old woman said, resignation and relief in her voice. She brushed her hand over Sumi's hair. "I have some of her clothes, let me go get them and a few things for your journey."

"I'll help," Zeno said, getting up and following the old woman to a trunk nearby. Sumi darted off after them, staying close to her grandmother's elbow.

"Where exactly are you thinking of taking her, princess?" Hak asked, raising an eyebrow at Yona.

She shrugged. "Didn't Mundok always say he wanted a granddaughter?"

He blinked and then chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, Gramps is going to love this…"

A few minutes later, they were all in the old woman's backyard. Jae-Ha was holding the little bag that had been packed for the girl, and Kija was holding an extra pack of goods that were being sent with them. The old woman was holding Sumi's hands in her spotted, wrinkled fingers. "Sumi, you behave for these nice people. Remember your manners and where you're from. Remember that you're loved." Tears sprang to her eyes, and they were mirrored on the little girl's face as her own tears streamed down her cheeks.

Sumi launched herself at the woman, burying her face into her dress, fingers gripping the material. The woman hugged her back tightly and then gently pried her off. The girl reached for her but the grandmother held her at arm's length. She looked up at Hak with a pleading gaze until he reached down and picked up the little girl, holding her with one arm while carrying his glaive in his spare hand. The girl opened her mouth as if to scream or cry, but nothing came out.

"If you ever need to find us, our names are—" Yonas started, but the woman held up a hand.

"No, don't tell me," she said, "I don't want to tell Chul who she's with in a moment of weakness."

"You wouldn't," Zeno said firmly.

"Thank you," the woman said, bowing to them, "Thank you for saving my great-granddaughter. Goodbye, my Sumi."

As they walked away, Yona followed behind Hak, wishing there was something she could say to soothe Sumi. She was reaching back over Hak's shoulder, her tears drenching his shoulder. While she still didn't say anything, her mouth formed the words 'I love you' over and over again. So quietly that Yona almost couldn't hear him, Hak comforted the girl as her grandmother faded from view.


	4. Chapter 4

"Is she asleep?"

"I think so. She's stopped wiggling so much."

Yona and Yoon walked behind Hak, their eyes trained on the little fox that was draped across his shoulders. An hour out from the village, Sumi had switched over to her fox form and crawled up on Hak's shoulder. He had kept one hand on her, making sure she wasn't trying to run off, until she had finally laid down on his broad shoulder and seemingly fallen asleep. She had been like that for a few hours now.

"So she can stay in fox form even when she's asleep…" Yoon said, his genius side provoked into serious curiosity by this new little beast, "Maybe that's her true form?"

"Zeno disagrees," said the blond dragon, "Not if she has a human dad. She's probably just happier like that right now."

"She's so cute," Yona said, watching the fox-girl's paws twitch as she dreamed. "Can I carry her, Hak?"

"No, princess," he replied, "She'll probably try to run off again if we wake her up, and I don't think you could catch her. You're slower than a turtle."

"You're so mean sometimes," Yona said, rolling her eyes.

"We need to have a meeting about what the princess plans to do with her," Kija proposed. He and Jae-Ha were behind the others, bringing up the rear while Shin-Ah walked ahead of everyone. "This is an official mission for the four dragons."

"And us," Yoon said, motioning toward himself and Hak.

"All of us," Yona said.

"All right, this is a mission for everyone," Kija amended, "So we have to do this right. For the princess."

"I really think we should take her to the Wind Tribe," Yona said. She reached up and scratched the fox girl's ears before Hak ducked away. She darted after him, determined to pet the cute little creature. "Mundok would take care of her, and the Wind Tribe would protect her."

"Mundok wouldn't know what to do with a little girl," Hak said, "He's only raised boys."

"But he's always said he wanted a girl," Yona protested.

"Does he want a fox, too? Because he'll be getting both," Jae-Ha said. "Captain Gi-Gan might not mind if we brought the little dear to her. She has a lot of experience with unruly things."

"She had to deal with you, so we know that's true," Hak said, making Jae-Ha smirk. The green dragon wasn't going to disagree, since he knew that he was a wild and free sort of person.

"Ik-Soo might know of somewhere we can take her," Yoon proposed, "He's spaced out, but he knows a lot of people."

"The White Dragon Village would be happy to have her," Kija said with conviction, his eyes shining with pride and confidence in his people, "They would take care if her, especially if the princess asked them to!"

In front of everyone, Shin-Ah stayed absolutely silent on the subject. He didn't know of anywhere that the fox girl would be safe besides with them and maybe Jae-Ha's Captain Gi-Gan lady. His own village had treated him like a monster, just like Sumi's father had treated her. It seemed like they should just keep her with them, but he wasn't going to say that, especially since he didn't know how to take care of a little kid. His predecessor, Ao, hadn't been the best example of a parent figure. Still, he could help watch her when she was in fox form, at least.

"We could take her to the Wind Tribe," Hak said, "Mundok and the others would help raise and protect her, and Tae-Yeon and her are probably the same age. He'd like a sister."

On his shoulder, Sumi lifted her head and stretched, her paws spreading out so her tiny black toe-beans were visible.

"Awww…" Yona and Zeno both said.

Hak reached up to grab the fox girl, but she darted across his shoulder, scurried down the glaive, and onto the ground. However, instead of racing off toward her village, she walked in between Yona and Zeno, keeping up with the others at a trot.

Hak glanced back at her. "You can walk by yourself, but you better not run off. I don't want to have to chase you down."

Sumi nodded, tiny head bobbing up at Hak's huge form. Ao bounced off of Shin-Ah and onto Jae-Ha's shoulder before racing down his side to the ground. The squirrel darted over to the fox girl and climbed up onto her back to ride.

"Sumi, are you hungry?" Yona asked. It was obvious by the look on her face that she wanted to grab up the little fox girl and cuddle her, but she refrained.

"Or thirsty?" Yoon asked. "You haven't had anything to drink." He unhooked a water pouch from his bag and shook it so the girl could hear the water. "Don't get dehydrated."

A moment later, Sumi blurred back into a human, holding Ao in her arms. The squirrel chittered happily and dashed up onto the girl's shoulder as she cautiously took the water pouch from Yoon. She took a few deep gulps and handed it back to Yoon, nodding her thanks to him.

Hak stopped walking for a moment and turned around. He knelt down in front of Sumi, and she took a step back, eyeing him warily. She was as bad as Shin-Ah had been when he first joined the group. Hak held up his hands, letting his glaive rest against his shoulder, and made a motion, one hand touching his mouth and then coming down. "That's the sign for 'thank you.' You can thank Yoon that way." He repeated the motion and then Sumi made the same gesture. Hak offered her a small smile. "Yeah, that's it."

The fox girl turned toward Yoon and mimicked the gesture.

"You're welcome," Yoon said before looking over at Hak. "Is that some kind of sign language?"

"Yeah," Hak said, standing up again, "The Wind and Earth Tribes both use it. Gramps taught it to me a long time ago, so I'm sort of rusty with it."

"I've seen it before," Jae-Ha said, "I know a little of it."

"Zeno too!" The blond grinned brightly. "It's fun."

"Teach me," Yoon demanded, the fire of inquisitiveness in his eyes.

"Me too!" Yona put in, "I want to learn. And we can teach it to Sumi so she can communicate with us."

"We can all learn," Kija said.

"I know some curses…" Jae-Ha said, and then grinned, "Sumi sweetheart, come here so Uncle Jae-Ha can teach you some colorful language."

"Don't call yourself that, Droopy Eyes. It's creepy."

"Jae-Ha, don't poison her, she's too young," Kija protested.

"Don't you dare," Yoon said, glaring at the green dragon.

Jae-Ha laughed. "Yes, Mother."

"You're no child of mine. When I have kids, they're going to be well-behaved."

Yona was smiling at her friends when she felt a tiny hand slip into hers. Sumi was walking beside her, one hand in hers while her other hand held onto Zeno. She still looked upset and as if she wanted to run home, but she was moving forward. Yona squeezed her hand, hoping that she could help this tiny little enigma of a girl.


	5. Chapter 5

"Sumi, don't get so close."

The little girl flicked her eyes over at Yoon and then took a teeny tiny step away from the cheerfully sparking campfire.

"One more step. Bigger this time."

She made a face and took a regular sized step backwards, making a line in the sand with her toe. When Yoon didn't ask her to move any farther away, she sat down, her palms raised to the flickering flames.

The group had settled down in a clearing by a creek and set up their two tents near the water. The sun was going down behind the trees, staining the sky scarlet and purple and orange with streaks of lilac clouds. The moon was already out, glowing softly as it waited for night to fall properly.

"That smells delicious, kid," Zeno said. He was laying on his stomach by the fire, his elbows on the ground and his chin propped up by his hands. Half of the time, he watched Yoon cook and the other half he kept an eye on Sumi. He and Yoon were sharing the job of keeping an eye on the shapeshifter while the others looked for game and scouted out the area.

"Thanks," Yoon said, "But you know, you could help out by cutting up some of those vegetables."

"Sorry, but Zeno has to watch the little one," he said, grinning at the fox girl. She didn't smile back but she did wave at him with one tiny hand, prompting him to wave back enthusiastically with both hands.

"I'm watching her and cooking at the same time," Yoon said.

Zeno gave him a thumbs up. "That's great, kid. Good multitasking."

Yoon glowered back at him. "Ridiculous, lazy beast…" He trailed off into a bunch of annoyed mumbles about monsters and beasts, all laced with sarcasm and grumpiness.

Near the fire, Sumi stretched and then stood up, walking in a circle around the fire and then circling Yoon. She had been restless since they had gotten to the camp, probably because it was a new place, she was finally free, and she had slept on Hak's shoulder most of the afternoon. Speaking of that, Yoon was going to have to make a carrying sling for her if the Thunder Beast was going to carry her around most of the time. That way he could walk with his glaive over his shoulder while still toting the fox girl.

Sumi wandered over to Yoon's cooking area and squatted down beside him, watching him peel carrots. He let her watch quietly for a little while and then silently handed her a peeled carrot. Immediately Sumi made the 'thank you' sign that Hak had taught her and started to wander again, this time nibbling on the carrot Yoon had given her. He noticed that her canine teeth were visibly pointed, almost exactly like Zeno's. She must've been hungry because she finished off the carrot and then rushed back over to Yoon, her eyes on the vegetables.

"You'll spoil your dinner," he said, but he handed her half of another carrot. After, she thanked him and scurried off, out of arms' reach as if she was afraid Yoon would take it away.

"Little bit is just hungry," Zeno said softly, his gaze gentle as he watched the girl. She watched him right back, staring back with those big golden eyes. "She probably didn't get fed very often. We should have given her something to eat earlier."

Slowly, Sumi moved toward Zeno, looking almost like she was stalking him. He stayed much stiller than usual, letting her come to him until she was right beside him. He even managed to not say anything when she reached up and put her hands on his cheeks and squished his face, staring him in the eyes, gold meeting blue.

Yoon frowned down at the pot of stew he was working on, thinking about how when he had been her age, he had gone hungry as well. The Fire Tribe lands were barren and wretched, and he had starved most days. It hadn't been until he had gone to live with Ik-Soo that he knew what a full belly felt like.

When Sumi finished the carrot, he called her over. "Here," he said, handing her a piece of dried deer from their supply. Her eyes glowed with quiet pleasure as she popped the piece of meat into her mouth.

Sumi wandered over to Zeno then sat down, her back resting against his side as she gnawed on the jerky. The yellow dragon grinned and closed his eyes, obviously pleased at having been chosen as a cushion for the kid.

The leaves rustled, and Shin-Ah and Kija appeared from the forest.

"We're back," Kija announced as if they couldn't see for themselves, "Shin-Ah found mint and that kea leaf you like so much, Yoon."

"Good, I need that for the stew."

Kija was loaded down with firewood while Shin-Ah was carrying a bagful of herbs that he quickly handed off to Yoon. Ao leapt off Shin-Ah's shoulder and onto Yoon's head, where she could watch the boy genius cook from a prime vantage point. He grudgingly gave the squirrel a piece of carrot, which she tucked into her cheek pouch before reaching for another one that Yoon reluctantly gave her. With both pieces of carrot in her cheeks, she looked like she was carrying around a potato in her mouth.

There was a bright bell-toned giggle, and everyone's heads whipped toward Sumi. The little redhead was looking at Ao, a smile on her face for the first time since they had met her.

Zeno chuckled. "So she laughs."

"You can laugh!" Kija said, bending down suddenly to look at Sumi, "That's fantastic." She instantly frowned and shrunk back against Zeno, making the yellow dragon sit up. She slipped into Zeno's lap and glared up at Kija, who had apparently gotten too close too quickly without permission.

"She likes you, Zeno, but Kija seems to be out of luck," Yoon said.

Kija looked upset as he stood up straight, his face turning red. "Sorry, Sumi, I didn't mean to frighten you or anything."

"She's just not used to you yet, Hakuryuu," Zeno said with a big smile, his arms on his knees as Sumi moved out of his lap and took a long path around Kija. "Give little bit some time."

"What's going on?" Yona asked as she and Hak appeared at the edge of the woods. Yoon filled her in while Hak started cleaning the hares they had shot out in the forest, and Yona immediately pouted. "I missed her smiling? That's not fair…" Yona gave Sumi a glowing smile. "Don't you want to smile again?"

"You're probably scaring her, princess," Hak said, smirking, "That looks more like a grimace than a smile."

"It does not," Yona said, making a face at Hak, "And no one asked you, anyways."

"You shouldn't insult the princess, Hak," Kija scolded.

"Then I guess I'll just have to settle for messing with you, White Snake."

Kija almost brandished his claws, but then he thought better of it in front of Sumi. Maybe she would be afraid of his hand, like some villagers were.

He turned to find Shin-Ah handing a chubby-cheeked Ao to the little fox girl, who took the squirrel and gave the blue dragon a small smile.

Yona stepped up beside Kija and the two of them shared a nearly identical look of defeat. "Not fair…I want a smile…"

After Jae-Ha returned, the group all ate stew and then worked on nighttime chores like cleaning gear, putting away cookware, or in Yona's case, practicing her archery. She lined up with a tree and started shooting arrows at a knot in the trunk.

Nearby, Hak wiped down his glaive and took out a sharpening stone to hone the edge. He was partially focusing on his work while also keeping an eye on Yona, so at first he didn't pay much attention to Sumi settling down beside him. It was only when the little girl drooped against him, her head resting on his knee, that he looked down at her. She nuzzled her head against his leg and glanced up at him before squeezing her eyes shut. He hesitated for a moment and then laid a hand on her head, ruffling her red hair like he would have if she had been Tae-Yeon or Tae-Woo.

Hak gave a heavy sigh. Oh, great.

He was getting attached.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sumi's sign language speech will be signified by italics and single quotation marks.

"Apple."

"River."

"Tree!"

"Medicine."

"Hungry."

"Hold on, slow down," Hak protested, "I can't keep up."

It was the next morning, and the group was heading in the direction of the Wind Tribe territory. Hak had decided to use the hiking time to teach Sumi some new words, which meant the others were peppering him with suggestions. Sumi walked alongside Hak, trying to keep up with the lesson but getting a little confused by the onslaught of words. At least she now knew a few words, enough to ask for certain things.

"Zeno knows the sign for 'hungry,'" the blond said proudly before demonstrating the way the sign went.

Sumi repeated the sign twice and then looked pointedly at Yoon before repeating it for a third time, more insistent this time. He raised an eyebrow and pulled a small piece of dried venison out of the pouch on his belt.

' _Thank you,'_ Sumi signed and started nibbling on the piece of meat.

"You're welcome," he said.

"How long will it take to get to Fuuga from here?" Kija asked. He was walking behind Hak and Sumi and Yona, still a tad disappointed that the fox girl wasn't paying much attention to him. She seemed to be far more attached to Hak.

"About six days on foot," Yoon said.

"Maybe longer," Hak said, glancing over at Yona and Sumi. Having the kid in the group might slow them down somewhat, but he wasn't sure. It wasn't like she was a normal child.

"They'll be happy to see you," Yona said confidently, smiling at Hak.

He shrugged. "They're always happy." Not true, but the Wind Tribe was the most laidback and cheerful of the Five Tribes.

"Tae-Yeon will be excited," Yona said, "How do you think he'll feel about Sumi?"

"Oh, if she won't stay out of fox form, he'll probably think she's a new pet," Hak said, smirking, "He'll probably put a bow around her neck and name her Fluffy."

Yona made a face. "Stop that, he will not. Be serious, Hak."

"I don't know, really," Hak said. He looked ahead and focused on not being embarrassed about how little he knew about his younger adopted brother. Tae-Yeon had been so little when he had left Fuuga for Kuuto, and then when he had returned, he had only stayed a few days before leaving again. He couldn't actually say what Tae-Yeon would think because he didn't know him that well. However… "But Tae-Woo will probably be okay with her. He's good with kids."

"Like you?" Yona asked, grinning.

What? No. "I'm not good with kids—"

"Liar," Jae-Ha said. The green-haired dragon was walking nearby, his hands in his pockets. "Sumi sweetheart already adores you."

"She only pretends to like me so she can get a free ride," Hak said, glancing down at the fox girl.

She flicked her golden gaze up at him and then smiled mischievously. The air around her blurred with color, and suddenly she was leaping up and hanging onto his robe, tiny claws digging into the fabric. He grabbed her before she could fall back to the ground and settled her on his shoulder.

"Here's a new sign, Sumi," Hak said before twitching his fingers through the air in an abrupt way. "It means annoying."

The little fox girl simply flopped across his shoulder and made a tiny, amused huffing sound. Hey, so she could make noise as a fox? Maybe she was just silent as a human. Then again, she wasn't completely silent, was she? She had laughed last night, after all.

"See?" Jae-Ha said, "She likes you quite a lot."

"The servants' children at the palace liked him too," Yona said, "And so did the guards' kids." She glanced up at him. "The Wind Tribe children all wanted you to play with them, and Tae-Yeon loves you. You're amazing with kids."

Hak's jaw twitched, and he lifted his face to the sky for a moment to collect himself before grinning down at her. "What are you trying to say, princess? That I should have children with someone?"

"One day," Yona said, tapping her fingers against her jaw, "You'd be a good dad."

"Yona dear, I think you're killing Hak slowly," Jae-Ha cautioned, "It's cruel since you're the one he'd like to have babies—"

Hak gave him a dangerous smile. "I'll kill you first, Droopy-Eyes, if you don't shut your mouth."

"Don't fight right now," Yoon said. He was looking down at the map. "There's a river up ahead and a bridge, so there might be people around. So keep it down. Shin-Ah, do you see anything?"

"Not yet," the blue-clad man said. He was toward the front of the group, watching the road ahead. Zeno darted forward and jumped on his back, looping his arms around Shin-Ah's neck.

"Then forward, toward adventure and the great unknown of life!" Zeno exclaimed.

Shin-Ah walked forward at the same place, apparently not bothered by the blond limpet that was now attached to him.

"So weird…" Hak said, shaking his head. Sumi batted at a stray strand of his black hair and then settled down for a nap. "And you're lazy, too, fox."

The group walked along the path for a couple more hours, heading toward the river and the bridge that Yoon had promised. They were almost there when Shin-Ah held up a hand, stopping them.

"People are there," he said, and Kija went over to stand beside him.

"How many?"

"Twenty-three," Shin-Ah answered, "They have weapons."

"That's a lot of people with weapons for a little bridge," Jae-Ha said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yoon, is there any way around this?" Hak asked as he pushed Yona and Yoon back behind a tree. He saw Zeno trying to peek around Kija and Shin-Ah, and he grabbed the yellow dragon to haul him back behind the tree as well.

"Not really," Yoon said after looking at the map for a moment. "I mean, all right, there's another bridge on the river, but it's at least another two days walk away."

"Shin-Ah, how many weapons do they have?" Jae-Ha asked.

"Not enough," was Shin-Ah reply.

Hak grinned. "All right, well, that answers that." He plucked Sumi off his shoulder and handed her to Yona before looking the princess directly in the eye. "Stay here while we go handle this."

"I can help, too," Yona protested.

"I know, but someone needs to keep an eye on Sumi," Hak replied. He looked at Kija, Shin-Ah and Jae-Ha. "Shin-Ah, stay behind with the others. Jae-Ha, Kija, you're with me."

"It's nice when you take command like this, Hak," Jae-Ha teased.

"I'm ready to defend the princess," Kija said, spreading his claws wide and enlarging them.

"Then let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

As the sound of fierce fighting filled the forest, Yona tried to keep a good hold on Sumi. The fox girl was squirming about and wriggling, her tail fluffed out and lashing. "Sumi, calm down."

The fox girl stopped for a moment and then started shoving her paws against Yona's hands.

"I think she wants to get down," Yoon said.

"I guessed that, Yoon."

"How's the fight going, Seiryuu?" Zeno asked from his spot beside Shin-Ah.

"Kija just punched someone into the river…"

"He always overdoes it," Yoon said, already imagining the exhaustion that would come over the white dragon later. Kija never went easy in a fight. He was always all in when it came to battles while at least Shin-Ah and Jae-Ha reined themselves in. Had to hand it to hi, though, no one could ever say that Kija was a slacker.

"Oops!" Yona lost her grip on Sumi as the girl shifted. The six-year-old ducked when the princess reached for her and darted around to Shin-Ah's side. The blue dragon's hand automatically fell on her shoulder, keeping her in place, but apparently he didn't have to worry. She clutched at his robe and peeked out around him with wide golden eyes. He glanced down at her and then covered her eyes, causing her to flail about and pluck at his fingers.

"Curiosity," Yoon said, rolling his eyes, "I'm starting to think that's her main problem. She can't help herself."

"That's not the worst fault," Yona said.

"It'll get the little one into a lot of trouble one day," Zeno said, amused.

Meanwhile, Shin-Ah and Sumi were silently fighting over whether or not she was allowed to watch the fight. She was trying to pull his hands away from her eyes while he struggled to keep them there. Finally, the girl shifted back into her fox form, but Shin-Ah snatched her up and handed her back to Yona.

"Stay," he ordered, patting her on the head. The fox girl puffed her fur out but seemed to finally accept her fate. The fight with the ambushers wasn't going to be a part of her entertainment for the day. She settled down and tucked her head into the crook of Yona's arm, apparently annoyed enough with all of them that she didn't even want to look at them.

The sound of laughter and battle banter drifted over the clang of weaponry and the yells of the bandits. There was no contest between the group of criminals and Hak, Jae-Ha, and Kija.

"You're slowing down, White Snake."

"There's no one left!"

"There's one right there."

"Yes, but Jae-Ha's dealing with it."

"Kija's right, if he punches him and I kick him, this guy will probably explode. It'd be so messy, Hak."

There was a splash as the last bandit went into the water with a high-pitched shriek and went floating down the river.

"It's all clear," Hak called from the riverside, "You guys can come down now."

"That was fast," Yoon said as they grabbed the packs and gear and headed down to the riverbank, "Might be a record."

"Do we keep records for that sort of thing?" Yona asked. In her arms, Sumi was still pouting, but at least she wasn't hiding anymore.

"Well, we do have a quickest-to-join record, currently held by Zeno—"

"Do I get a prize?" Zeno asked with a grin.

"You get food on a semi-regular basis," Yoon said, rolling his eyes, "That's your big prize. Tada."

"I guess that'll do," Zeno said. He looked over at Yona and held out his hands. "I can carry the little one, miss."

"It's all right, she's not heavy," Yona said. Besides, Hak was the one who always got to hold her when she was a fox, which wasn't fair. Sumi was precious as a human girl but she was so adorable when she was in her little fox cub shape. Yona was valiantly resisting the urge to squish her against her cheek and make baby noises at her.

Kija appeared on the path, and he automatically took a couple bags from Shin-Ah. He looked exhilarated and pleased, obviously happy with the outcome of the fight. "I took out the most bandits," he said with a smile, "Hak wasn't as efficient as I was. He tries."

"I can hear you, you know," Hak said.

"The Thunder Beast has the special ability of always knowing when people are talking about him," Yoon said.

When they reached the riverbank, they found Hak going through the bandits' belongings and what they had stolen. There were also a couple horses tied to a nearby tree, and Jae-Ha was near them, stroking one's neck. As they put down their gear in the middle of the clearing, Sumi jumped out of Yona's arms and shifted back to human. She dashed over to Jae-Ha and the horses, spooking the gelding Jae-Ha was trying to calm down. The green dragon held the gelding's halter as the horse gave a half-hearted rear, and Sumi hid behind his legs until the horse calmed down then stepped back to his side.

"Not so fast, kiddo. They startle as badly as you do," Jae-Ha said, looking down at the girl. He noticed again that her dress was threadbare and patched. She needed new clothes… "Hak, is there any cloth in those bags?"

"Probably," Hak replied, "There's a lot of stuff here. We could sell it all and the horses at the closest village."

"Or, better yet, we could try to find out who it was stolen from," Yona said, her hands on her hips. "I bet most of it belongs to the nearby villagers."

"Finders keepers," Hak said, and a moment later, he and Yona were wrestling over a piece of pottery.

"Give it to me, Hak, we're not keeping it."

"I don't want to keep it, I want to sell it."

"We can't, it's not ours."

"Wait, so you really want to go to all of the villages around here and ask everyone there if this is their stuff?" Yoon asked, his eyebrows creeping up his forehead in surprise and dismay, "Yona, that could take weeks, and there's no way of telling if people are telling the truth. And, you know, they'll probably just think we're the bandits."

Yona frowned. "It wouldn't feel right if we kept it, though. I think we should at least try the closest village."

"Maybe they'll be so grateful to us for getting rid of the bandits that they'll throw a feast!" Zeno suggested, his mouth watering at the prospect.

"It's the honorable thing to do," Kija said, "We should give back as much as we can."

Jae-Ha walked over to them with Sumi following along behind him. He had found a little jeweled box in one of the horse's saddlebags, and now the little girl was playing with it, turning it over in her hands. She held it up to Yona so that the princess could see.

"It's pretty," she said, smiling at the little girl.

Sumi nodded and fiddled with the box, opening and closing its clasp.

Jae-Ha stepped over to Hak. "Where's that cloth you found?"

Hak rolled his eyes but pointed at one of the bags. "We can't use it anyways. The princess said so."

"That's not what I said," Yona said, making it a face at him. She reached over and tugged his cheek. "Don't make things up."

"Don't try to make me question my morals, then! You act like it's terrible to keep some stuff we stole from thieves."

"Which they stole from someone else!"

Jae-Ha turned and grabbed the bag Hak had pointed at. He riffled through it until he found a light blue cloak, one that could easily be turned into an outfit for their little fox. There was another cloak, this one brown, that could be turned into trousers for her.

"Yoon, do you think you could make Sumi a new outfit out of this?" Jae-Ha said, holding up the bag. Yoon peeked inside and nodded.

"Yeah, no problem. It'll be easy. I was planning on making something for her anyways, once we found somewhere to get cloth."

"Yona dear, can we at least use these two cloaks for Sumi?" Jae-Ha asked.

Yona nodded. "Okay, but only those…"

Jae-Ha pulled out the blue cloak and tossed it over Sumi. She froze and then popped back into her fox form, the cloth deflating around her. Jae-Ha chuckled as she raced around under the cloak. He picked up a corner of the cloak, and she dashed out, racing past him and jumping onto Hak's arm.

"Hey, troublemaker," Hak said, reaching up to scratch between her big pointy ears. "You know, if we go into town, you're going to have to choose whether to be a fox or a girl while we're there." She couldn't switch back and forth in a new village, since that would most definitely cause chaos. It would be that fastest way to turn her into a target.

Sumi huffed, nuzzled his hand, and then leapt down again. She trotted over to where Ao was digging through one of the bags and then she pounced on the squirrel, starting a game of chase.

"Hak…" Yona started, but he held up his hand.

"Fine, we'll take this stuff back to town," he said, "But if no one claims it, we're keeping it."


	8. Chapter 8

Leaving the horses, the group packed up the bandits' loot and headed across the bridge. Hak kept an eye on the bridge, noting the places where the boards seemed weak. It was a wooden and old, and it seemed like damp had finally gotten to some of the boards.

"Watch your step," he cautioned the group and trained his eyes on Yona.

She was walking in front of him, fox-form Sumi standing on her shoulder, half-draped across her head. She glanced back at him, making the fox-girl readjust her stance. "I'm fine, Hak."

"Yeah, somehow I think you'd be the one person who would step on a rotten board," he said, making a face at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned forward. Sumi jumped from Yona's shoulder to Yoon's, but the boy genius wasn't giving out free rides.

"You have four feet, you can walk," he said as he plucked her off his shoulder and set her on the bridge. She froze and then curled up in a little ball, her fluffy tail covering her nose. Hak stopped and picked her up before sticking her on his shoulder.

When they had first started to cross the bridge, Sumi had been reluctant to go. She had paced around in her fox-form, flicking her tail back and forth, and jumping out of reach whenever anyone grabbed at her. Finally, Hak had lured her in with a piece of pork jerky and snatched her. She had squirmed and put up a silent fuss until they had gotten a third of the way across the bridge, then she had calmed down a little.

"Can't swim, can you?" he asked, casting a sidelong look at the little fox. She responded by hitting him in the face with her tail. "That's a yes."

Sumi glanced at him and then leapt forward from his shoulder to land on Yona's shoulder again. She grinned, running a hand over the fox girl's big pointy ears. "That's right, you like me more than you like Hak, don't you?"

Hak rolled his eyes. Like he cared…

They were almost all across the river when something cracked. Yoon and Yona had stepped on the same board at the same time, and it couldn't bear the weight. There was a split second where everyone froze and Yoon and Yona looked at each other before the board shattered and dropped out from under them, taking the board in front of it when Yoon tried to grab onto something.

Hak dove forward to catch them, but his fingers closed around empty air. He almost headbutted Jae-Ha, who had been right in front of Yoon, Yona, and Sumi. The drop wasn't far, but the river was fast, and they were all already being dragged off by the current.

"Yona!" Kija shouted, and his clawed hand almost took off Hak's head as he reached down through the hole. It was too late.

"Kija, go down the river!" Hak shouted at the white dragon, "See if you can catch them, Shin-Ah, Zeno, go with him!"

The other two took off, racing down the river bank while Kija hurried after them.

There was a splash, and Hak turned to see that Jae-Ha was already in the water, swimming as hard as he could. Hak tossed his glaive and yanked off his boots and robe before diving in after him.

He surfaced and worked with the current, following right after Jae-Ha. In front of him, he could see three heads bobbing up and down. Sumi must have turned back into a human out of shock.

The river was fast and wide, and as they rounded the bend, the water turned white with rapids. Fear surged through Hak, not for himself but for the others. He saw Yona go under as the water dropped over a small rapid, but she quickly came back up, straining to get to the shore. While she was an all right swimmer in calm lakes, swimming in a river was totally different, especially when the water was rough.

"Hak!" she screamed as the river gained speed.

"I'm coming!" he shouted back, pushing himself harder. He could see Yoon struggling to swim to shore, but he also had one hand on Sumi, trying to keep her head above water. She was paddling as well as she could, but her red-haired head kept dipping beneath the water.

Yoon wasn't even a great swimmer himself. Sure, he knew the basics, but he had been raised during a drought in the Fire Clan territory. Swimming wasn't a priority. He waded in the pool of the waterfall back at Ik-Soo's sometimes, but that was it. But he had learned a few things from talking to others during their travels.

"Don't put your feet down," he called to Yona, "They could get stuck in the rocks!"

"Over here!" Kija shouted. He was leaning out over the water, his hand enlarged to enormous proportions. Zeno and Shin-Ah were holding onto his clothes so he could lean over as far as possible. "Yoon, Yona!"

"Yona, swim toward Kija," Yoon said, realizing that he and Sumi were on the wrong side of the river to reach him in time. There was no way they would make it back over there in time.

"What about you?" Yona cried.

"Yona, you dummy, just go!" Yoon said. He needed to get himself and Sumi to shore, and he was scared of losing his grip on the girl. "Don't go fox, understand?" If she shifted to her fox shape, he would lose his grip on her. Wide-eyed in terror, she nodded and kicked her legs.

Hak felt a rush of relief as Kija reached down and lifted Yona straight up out of the water with one hand and pulled her onto the rock. She collapsed against him, and all four of them fell back into a pile. Yona recovered first and she scrambled to her feet. "Yoon! Sumi!"

Jae-Ha could see the two youngest of their group bobbing ahead of him, neither of them doing very well. He hurried, using the strength of his leg to propel him forward.

They rushed down the river, both of them going under as they hit another rapid. Yoon hit the bottom, and the jolt ripped Sumi from his grip. Under water, he tried to grab her, but the current snatched her and carried her off.

When he managed to get back to the surface, he couldn't see her. Her redhaired head wasn't visible above the water.

A strong hand latched onto the back of his shirt and yanked him back. Jae-Ha grabbed him by the arm. "Couldn't wait until later to swim?"

"Sumi's not here!" Yoon said, looking around frantically. Had he lost her? He couldn't have lost her!

A moment later and Hak burst out of the water, an arm around Sumi. The little girl was coughing and spluttering, but she was alive. Yoon and Jae-Ha both let out a breath.

"That's everyone," Hak said. Jae-Ha started swimming toward the shore, followed by Hak.

When they reached land, the rest of their group was already there. Hak passed Sumi to Jae-Ha, concern on his face. "Is she okay?" Jae-Ha had more experience with water-based injuries and dangers, seeing how he had partially grown up on a pirate ship.

"She'll be all right," Jae-Ha said. He set the trembling girl on the ground and patted her back, getting her to cough up the water she had breathed in. "She's mostly just scared."

Well, Hak knew how that felt. He looked around and found Yona hugging Yoon, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I thought you were going to drown!" Yona said.

"Ditto," Yoon replied, exhausted.

Hak sighed and walked over to the two of them. Without warning, he grabbed them both and hugged them to him, pressing his face into the top of Yona's hair for a moment. Okay. They were all right. He could calm down now.

"Hak, you're squishing us…"

"Thunder Beast…I…can't breathe…"

Hak held onto them for a moment longer and then released them. He looked down at Yona and touched her chin, turning her face toward him. There were a few scratches on her cheeks, and she was absolutely soaked. The majority of them were. They needed a fire so everyone could get warmed up.

Jae-Ha walked over, holding Sumi on his hip. She had her forehead resting against his shoulder, and she looked absolutely exhausted, golden eyes half-closed. Hak reached over and tugged gently on her hair, but she didn't look up. Yona and Yoon looked like they were about to fall over too…

"Let's make camp," he said, "Right here."

It was a better idea than forcing their soggy, dripping group to march to the next town.


End file.
